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Last week was an historic week in Texas: an 11-hour filibuster by State Sen. Wendy Davis drew national attention, and two Supreme Court cases with deep ties to Texas were decided. In light of the recent news, KLRU aired a special thirty minute news and analysis program Friday evening called The Texas Rundown. The program was aired statewide, in cooperation with Texas PBS.

Between the end of the Legislative special session and two Supreme Court rulings with major Texas ties, this has been a busy news week. As your public television station we feel it is our duty to be a source of trust worthy information so we are putting together a special news program called The Texas Rundown that will air Friday 6/28 at 7:30p recapping the news of the week.

Il Divo at ACL Live | May 15 | Donate $400 and we’ll thank you with two incredible floor seats to the performance. Or donate $200 to receive two balcony level tickets

Joe Bonamassa at ACL Live | November 30 | Donate $350 we’ll thank you with two tickets to his concert plus an invitation to a Meet-and-Greet before the show. Or donate $250 for two great seats without the Meet-and-Greet

Fab Four: The Ultimate Beatles Tribute at the Paramount | May 18 | Donate $100 for two great seats at their concert. Or join them for a Meet-and-Greet before their concert when you donate $150

KLRU is proud to be the largest producer and presenter of high-quality arts in Central Texas. When you support KLRU, you become a key partner in keeping the arts alive today and for generations to come.

Whether you choose one of our special ticket opportunities or donate without a thank you gift, I hope you’ll decide to show your support for KLRU right now.

On January 21st at 10am, tune into PBS NewsHour on KLRU-TV for live coverage of President Obama’s second inauguration and the entire day’s events. Both will be available to watch on air and on online at newshour.pbs.org.

KLRU broadcasts programming created by and about people from all cultures year-round, from public affairs to history to independent film to kids programming. In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, KLRU will broadcast a lineup of new and encore presentations honoring and exploring Latin American culture.

ARTS IN CONTEXT: THE ART OF THE DIA DE LOS MUERTOS (DAY OF THE DEAD)
airs Sunday, September 16th at 1 pm
This KLRU-TV production discovers the personal history and unique art of Dia de los Muertos through the stories of San Antonio artists who capture this rich cultural heritage. To understand our present, Arts In Context explores the fabric of our past. Although the philosophy behind Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) began in the Mexican culture, now it crosses all cultures as a ceremony to remember and value the ones who led us to where we are today.

MARIACHI HIGH airs Sunday, September 16th at 2 pm; Thursday, September 20th
at 9 pm; Friday, September 21 at 9 pm
This documentary presents a year in the life of the champion mariachi ensemble at Zapata High School on the Rio Grande in South Texas. As they compete and perform with astonishing musical virtuosity, these teens, and the music they make, will inspire, surprise, and bring you to your feet.

MEXICO: ROYAL TOUR airs Sunday, September 16th at 3 pm
A tour of the extraordinary locations and landmarks of Mexico is led by President Felipe Calderon. Explore the legendary ruins of lost civilizations, seek out their descendants and find the ancient mysteries these sites have hidden for generations. From soaring across the skies in a hot air balloon for a bird’s-eye view of Teotihuacon, to whale watching in Baja California, to rappelling stories into a seemingly bottomless pit, the program uncovers the essence of this captivating and complex nation. This is not the Mexico of media headlines or the pristine Mexico of travel brochures – this is the real Mexico of The Royal Tour.

POV “El Velador (The Night Watchman)” airs Thursday, September 27th at 9 pm
From dusk to dawn, “El Velador (The Night Watchman)” accompanies Martin, a guard who watches over the extravagant mausoleums of some of Mexico’s most notorious drug lords. In the labyrinth of the cemetery, this film about violence without violence reminds us that, amid the turmoil of a drug war that has claimed more than 50,000 lives, ordinary existence persists in Mexico and quietly defies the dead. Directed by Natalia Almada.

VOCES ON PBS “Tales of Masked Men” airs Friday, September 28th at 9 pm
Explore “lucha libre” and its role in Latino communities in the United States and Mexico. Part circus and part athletic contest, the sport, famous for its masked wrestlers, provides a sense of “home” for new immigrants in the United States. It also continues to expand and build on its unique cultural tradition in countries where it enjoys enduring popularity. Simultaneously, lucha libre is contributing a lasting cultural idiom to America’s pop culture landscape.

POV “Biblioburro, The Donkey Library” airs Thursday, October 4th at 9 pm
This is the story of a librarian — and a library — like no other. A decade ago, Colombian teacher Luis Soriano was inspired to spend his weekends bringing a modest collection of precious books, via two hard-working donkeys, to the children of a poor and violence-ridden province. As Soriano braves armed bands, drug traffickers, snakes and heat, his library on hooves carries an inspirational message about education and a better future for Colombia.

VOCES ON PBS “Escaramuza: Riding the Heart” airs Friday, October 5th at 9 pm
In this documentary, a team of first-generation Mexican American girls construct their identities through a romanticized equestrian tradition, while facing challenges at home, and escalating violence in Mexico. Confronting obstacles both known and unforeseen on their path from California to Mexico, their sometimes difficult choices demonstrate the values of goal-setting, teamwork, personal responsibility and strong family ties. This makes them inspiring role models in a world where Latina female athletes are few and far between.

VOCES ON PBS “Unfinished Spaces” airs Friday, October 12th at 9 pm
Fifty years after the Cuban Revolution, three architects resume their first project — Cuba’s National Art Schools — left unfinished in 1965 when their creative visions came head to head with the political realities of the Revolution.

VOCES ON PBSn “Lemon” airs Friday, October 19th at 9:30 pm
This documentary profiles three-time felon, one-time Tony Award-winner Lemon Anderson, an acclaimed Puerto Rican-American poet who broke out on Broadway in Russell Simmons’ “Def Poetry Jam.” Lemon’s life personalizes the anguish of men, clinging to the margins of society, but fighting for something more.

This month, KLRU has been re-airing the original broadcast of Sesame Street’s one-hour special “Growing Hope Against Hunger.” In this show, guest stars Brad and Kimberly Paisley meet Lily, the newest Muppet. Together, they reach out to viewers who may be hungry and those who may be in a position to help others. At the conclusion of the episode, viewers of all ages who may need additional food are directed to call 2-1-1, the call center for local health and human services.

We have been looking forward to this night for a very long time! In celebration of Julia Child’s 100th birthday, some of the best chefs and foodies in Austin will be joining us LIVE in studio during a special presentation of three classic episodes of The French Chef featuring Julia’s take on omelettes, boullaibase, and roasted chicken, tonight at 7pm on KLRU.

This is the perfect opportunity to support the great history of cooking shows on public television and celebrate the incredible culinary scene here in Austin. We love when we can connect the awesome programming on KLRU with our local community and who better to showcase the KLRU vision of inspiration and creativity than Julia herself.

KLRU needs your support during this August pledge drive – if you love food, you won’t want to miss out on tonight’s special tribute to Julia Child beginning tonight at 7pm. Thank you for celebrating with us.

Susannah Winslow, an incredibly talented and creative staff member here at KLRU, made a mouth-watering dinner to celebrate Julia’s 100th birthday! We’re happy to have her thoughts (and the recipes!) to share with you today.

“In my mind, Julia Child has always been and will always be the pinnacle of French cooking. So it’s not surprising that until this weekend, I had never made or followed a Julia Child’s recipe in my life. They just seemed too intimidating, even though the grande dame herself is the one that made French cooking so easily accessible to people like me. In honor of what would be her 100th birthday, I gladly rolled up my sleeves and got to work making a dinner I’m sure Julia would be proud of: moules à la marienière (mussels steamedin white wine) avec les pommes frites (french fries) et pour le dessert, mousse au chocolat (chocolate mousse). In true Julia Child’s fashion, everything turned out marvelous, even though I’m sure I made a few mistakes along the way. Bon Appetit!“

- Susannah Winslow, KLRU Membership Team

Cook your own Julia Child recipe and we’ll share it on our blog, too! Celebrate Julia’s birthday by supporting all the great creative shows on KLRU and make a gift during our August pledge drive.

Presented in honor of Julia Child’s 100th birthday, PBS has released full episodes of Julia’s first PBS show, The French Chef – originally broadcast in the 1960s. Today’s episodes feature French Tarts, Quiche Lorraine, and French Onion Soup. Watch them now then re-create a recipe (or two!) and share with us to celebrate Julia Child’s legacy and memory on PBS!